Hostage standoff: SLC police kill armed suspect

The man, armed with handgun, had tried to steal a car from a husband and wife near 650 S. Park St., but he fled when the husband got out of the car and scuffled with him, police said.

He ran to nearby Green Street and was spotted around 12:15 p.m. near 672 S. Green St. The man ran into the house, where he took a man and a woman hostage.

The male hostage was able to escape, but the suspect held onto the woman, a gun to her head as he shouted to police around 1:20 p.m. that he would not go back to prison and would not be taken alive.

At that point an officer, apparently armed with a rifle, shot and killed the man as he stood with the hostage in the front doorway.

A neighbor who lives nearby first reported the suspicious man.

The witness, who asked that he not be identified, said he was inside his house and saw the man looking around his front porch, like he was "stalking someone." The man crouched down and the witness saw he had a chrome handgun.

The neighbor said he called police and watched as the gunman went to 672 S. Green St. He said the hostages were the woman who lives there and her boyfriend.

She said she heard police yell to the gunman, "Drop the weapon. Release the hostage."